The Children's Hour
by LM Simpson
Summary: oneshot. Prompt: "The Lost Hour." During a witch battle Kyoko suddenly finds herself in a country that she has never been in before, and a kindred spirit.


**Title: **The Children's Hour  
**Author: **LM Simpson (Kady the Red Panda  
**Pairing(s): **very minorKyoko/Zorrino  
**Rating: **K+  
**Warning(s): **mild language, very improbable crossover  
**Summary:** Prompt: "The Lost Hour." During a witch battle Kyoko suddenly finds herself in a country that she has never been in before, and finds a kindred spirit.  
**Disclaimer: **I am not associated with any of these series's copyright holding companies.  
**Other tidbits: **This is a really weird fanfic idea I got awhile ago. Today, though, I started working through some kinks to make it slightly more plausible. Oh yeah, and while Zorrino speaks in broken English in canon he's going to sound more fluent here because of magical Babelfish. Originally written for fan_flashworks on Dreamwidth.

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The next thing Kyoko knew she was on the ground, lance away from her and her head aching. She cursed, hoping that the witch wouldn't take this as an opportunity to kill her after it whacked her with its long, barbarous tail. To her satisfaction she swiftly regained her senses, until she just as quickly realized, dumbfounded:

"Hey! This isn't the train station!"

In fact, it wasn't even somewhere urban, or anything that resembled Japan for that matter. Or at least, nowhere in Japan that she ever saw on TV. This place was more mountainous, more desert like (Kyoko swore she spotted a _cactus_ to boot), far more deserted. It was also brighter outside, unlike the night a few hours back at home, and colder. She shivered for a second before growling.

_Dammit! The witch got away. Just my luck! I wonder why it sent me here..._

Her stomach growled. She did not like to ponder on an empty stomach. Luckily she found herself close to a village that she discovered after turning around. Well that was good. Kyoko transformed back into her civilian clothes and began the mile long trek.

She resisted her stomach and hid behind a barrel to observe the alien surroundings. The villagers further confirmed that she was no longer in Japan, with their olive skin, bright clothing and foreign-to-her language. Spanish, it sounded like. In this place a Japanese teenager, especially a maroon haired one wearing an aqua hoodie and cut off jean shorts, stood out. She frowned, eyebrows furled. The language barrier was especially going to be a pain to get through...

Then, once again, she realized something. With an open palmed smack to her forehead she said, "Ugh! Duh! Kyoko you dummy!"

Forwarding her hand, her ring shifted into her soul gem and landed into her now sky facing palm. She clasped the red gem against her chest , closed her eyes, and made her wish. With a bright glow she slowly began to hear her native tongue once again until it was all she could hear. Her grin exposed her sharp canines.

"There! That's better!" She declared. "Now it's time to find some grub!"

Seeing how small the town was it wasn't hard to find food. The only catch now would be to find a way to actually get it without being caught. All the sellers, be it for grains she never saw before in her life or beans, were large, intimidating looking women that could give her a beating if they caught her. Granted, she could probably give them a beating too, but didn't want to unless it was a last resort. Same with the little barefoot boy with missing front teeth that somehow reminded her of her little sister, and who selling sweets from a tiny basket that reminded her too of something, particularly of the little brown and baby pink Easter basket she had growing up.

Kyoko grunted in frustration and at her stomach grumbling once again until she noticed one last seller at the very edge of the village. He was around her age, give or take a couple years, wearing a red hat, a mustard yellow long sleeve shirt, green pants and sandals. He didn't have a place in the marketplace, like the little candy seller, and only had a slightly larger basket full of oranges with him. He appeared shy, with his head down as low as he could without outright being face to face with the dirt right below his feet.

It would be too easy, she thought as she stood in the busy marketplace with mothers and men squeezing around her like if she was on a subway car, if he got distracted. When he was not looking she would take an orange. Then maybe she would start sneaking more around if that was a success. Sounded simple enough. She decided to give it a shot.

Turns out, someone had the same idea. An older man across from the boy yelled something- "Zorrino," it sounded like- and messaged him to come over urgently. The orange seller knew enough to not completely leave his produce unattended but he still ran fast enough that a couple dropped to the ground. Eh, at least the fruit itself would be clean when she peeled the dirty peel away.

Kyoko dashed towards the oranges. She would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for a meddling kid.

"Zorrino!" The sweets seller cried, "That girl has some of your oranges!"

The orange seller and the magical girl locked eyes, and with a gulp Kyoko fled all the while cursing at herself and the kid. She pushed herself away from the passerby, as did the boy, and picked up speed towards the town's borders. And then, a few yards outside, she caught a boot on a rock and fell. She grumbled to herself as she got up on all fours, lifted her head, and once again met his eyes.

He breathed heavily, clutching his chest with the hand not carrying the purloined fruit. He appeared both angered and frustrated. "You! Why did you take my oranges? You didn't pay for them!"

_Finders keepers, losers weepers_, she thought. "Pay! How could I pay? I have no money!"

Then she noticed something. "And it looks like you won't either at this rate!"

"What do you mean-" His face paled. "Oh no!"

He ran back into town with his two oranges, while telling himself what an idiot he was. Kyoko got back up to her feet and chased behind him. He stopped a little bit away from the marketplace; she did as well. As she got closer she noticed he was crying.

"Well, what did you expect by leaving your oranges unattended?" She said, hands behind her neck. Immediately she regretted it. The boy now covered his face. Some men, including the one from earlier, appeared to be snickering at him.

She stepped closer to him, hand reaching forward. "Hey, um, I'm sorry..."

"How could you be? You're the one that caused all of this!"

She gulped. In a way he was right. Her stomach still growled but now it felt sour as well, seeing all the people holding and eating the boy's goods. Then she remembered a couple years before, when she and her little sister starved because her father could not find work or money after excommunication. She didn't want Momo to hurt then, and she didn't want to hurt (what was it? Zorrino?) now if she could help it. It was time to see if she still carried some charm magic within her.

Kyoko started first with the sweets seller who was just about to dig a dirty thumb into his fruit. If she could not charm a child, how could she charm anyone else? She stooped down to his level and asked for it. Her normal voice sounded more hypnotic to the boy, who promptly gave it to her, as well as a kiss on a cheek. With a smile she started off to a man, then a woman with a small child at her hip, then more and more people until all that was left were people that already ate most of their fruit. Then, she persuaded one seller for beans, then another for some stuff called "quinoa," and another for potatoes. She stuffed half the seller food in her pockets and the remaining with the oranges so that even if they didn't sell the boy wouldn't go to sleep hungry for the night like she did so many times. With her arms bursting with produce she returned back to him.

"Here you go! Maybe you'll make something today!"

He stared, astonished. "How-"

"Don't ask. Now where's your basket? Because I'm really tempted to eat all of this!"

He blushed, and still was after fetching his basket. "I... Don't know what to say. Thank you, thank you very much."

Kyoko attempted to act tough. "Feh, it's not a problem."

He looked at the extra goodies in his basket. "Say, it's about time for lunch. Would you like to join me at my home? It's the only way I can really show my graditude, I'm afraid."

Kyoko beamed. "Are you kidding me? That's the best way you coulda done it! Show me the way!"

The boy, Zorrino as she found out quickly was indeed her name, showed her around briefly as they moved around town. He was a native of the area, the only child of a pureblood Indians that had since long past. He expressed joy in knowing another orphan, and the two discussed how their parents were like and the struggle to survive alone. Kyoko, ever since she and her friend Mami broke up post-her family's death, always felt like a loner. Now she felt a rare moment of unadulterated contentment. They may have looked weird to each other (Zorrino even got her ethnicity correct at the first try), but the experiences of being outcasts, plus an interest in food, made Kyoko feel free again. However that stingray witch sent her to Peru she did not know, but she did not quite regret it.

That was, until, they reached Zorrino's dilapidated hut. It was unmistakable even from the little hill they were atop. If the negative atmosphere didn't give up the jig the tiny grief seed stabbing the hut was. Her smile instantly flip flopped.

Kyoko grabbed an arm. "Say, uh, how about we find a tree to eat by? Or, a pond! Yeah! Is there a pond?"

"Of course! But how am I going to cook the food if I do not go home first?" Zorrino asked.

_Dammit._ "Oh, um I have to use the bathroom! Can you show me it?" _Oh wait. Then what if he goes inside to wa-_"Do _you_ have to go the bathroom? I can hold your stuff!"

Zorrino blushed once again. "Um, Kyoko, are you alright?"

"Me?" She forced a chuckle. "Yeah, I'm totally fine!" Then she turned more serious. "Don't go into the hut. Something bad's in there."

He raised a brow, continued walking. "What do you mean, 'bad?' Do you know something I don't, Kyoko?"

_How am I going to explain it to him?_ _I really shouldn't, but if push comes to shove..._ She growled in her mind. "It's just... a feeling. Please... Let me look inside first..."

Zorrino wasn't sure what was going on, but his new friend appeared concerned enough. They stopped a few yards from his home."Okay, then. Ladies first, senorita."

"Thank you so much!" Kyoko ran inside the bare home. Aside from a mattress with sheet and pillow, a wood stove, and a beat up wardrobe there was not much else. It was nothing at all like the nice hotel she managed to charm her way into receiving for free, and it made her wish that if she was able to she'd take her friend along, even if it was for one night. She felt worse than ever over her earlier orange theft.

Then before she could continuing musing she heard a rippling sound. A distorted pea green and brown damask lake bed complete with kelp decorated replaced the simple home. She was now inside the witch's barrier.

_It's the same one as last time,_ she thought. _Good. Now I can finish her off._

In a flash she transformed. Lance ready she prepared to charge towards the pond where the stingray witch resided with her fish people familiars. It was only a voice that stopped her.

"Kyoko!"

She looked back, heart about to stop. "Zorrino!"

The boy finally collapsed with fright and fatigue behind her. "I heard a noise inside and went to check on you. What's going on? What happened to my home?" He further blushed when he noticed how different yet just as pretty she was before him. "What happened to you?"

"Me?" She nervously giggled. "Uh, it's a long story. But right now what matters is getting your home back to normal. Just don't stray too far from me."

Zorrino let out a small noise at the sight of a long stingray tail slinking in and out of the water like a sea serpent.

"Be careful, then. I don't know how _el cuero_ entered my home or changed it but I know he's a dangerous one."

"Dangerous, eh?" She turned, grinning. "Fits the territory, I suppose."

With that she leaped forward. Zorrino ran as fast as he could but stayed several hundred yards away from the water. Distorted pea green fishlike creatures sprung out and charged towards his new friend. He gasped and stood in horror until he noticed that after soaring Kyoko's lance broke in several pieces and she wielded it much like a nunchuck. The monsters disintegrated into algae at a mere touch. Kyoko landed on her feet near the pond's edge without much of a slight tip. The lance fused back, and she took long enough to sport a toothy grin at him.

Zorrino, however, did not smile. Pointing up at the growing brownish mass rising behind her, he yelled.

"Kyoko, watch out!"

The witch landed with a humongous thud out of the water and partially on land. Her opponent managed to jump to the left in time. Her new target, a little Indian boy that was successfully lured into her wet home, shivered.

Kyoko noticed this. "Zorrino! Run!"

Run he did. The witch lifted its body up once again, exposing pink flesh and sharp giant teeth. Large dark green barbs grew out of its leather like hide and bark brown eyes focused once again at him. A roar shook the barrier as her long tail flew towards the boy.

Kyoko roared herself. It was enough to mess with her. Hell, she was fine with it. It was part of the job requirement. But mess with a friend-

"_ROSSO FANTASMA_!"

-The witch paused from attacking the cowering boy. Copies of her original victim materialized around her. All seven duplicates began their offense, and so did the witch. She roared again, and the beryl barb on the edge of her tail starting targeting them one by one. Five disintegrated mid-air. Then another one disappeared, and the remaining real magical girl speared her in the eye. The witch cried and violently swung her tail in ways impossible for a real stingray, but was unsuccessful as Kyoko broke her weapon apart and began swinging it about until the spear finally found her weak point. Bright light blinded Kyoko and the still witnessing Zorrino as blue blood poured out from in-between the dying witch's punctured eyes.

Zorrino cheered. Kyoko, still in air, gloated like a hero that she felt she was at that moment. The orange dealer then began contorting his face in shock, and so did she when the still writhing tail smacked her to the ground, landing only feet from the still shocked boy.

"Are you alright?" He said, knees to the ground and holding her hand.

She found her mind in a cloud, and her sight muddled. "Alright? Heh! Of course I'm alright. Sorry, but it looks like I'm gonna need to put that meal on rain check..."

The next thing Kyoko knew her head was aching. With sheer force she found herself able to see clearly and with little pain. To her disappointment she was back in Japan. A clock on the station wall showed that it was an hour past when she first started the witch battle. The morning commute would start any time now.

"Damn it," she breathed, walking back to her hotel room. Instead of a nice meal and a decent adventure with her new friend she only had a grief seed as a souvenir. Her stomach was still growling, as a bonus pain. Kyoko hated to think while she was hungry, but made this an exception.

Lord, if you're really here... I really hope you'll find good friends for Zorrino. Maybe a better home too. I think he needs it, far more than I ever did... After the quick prayer she thought of only one more thing before ceasing thinking: she hoped that she still had oranges in her hoard when she had her first breakfast of the day.


End file.
